KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australia 's new prime minister assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that his country 's troops intend to be in Afghanistan `` for the long haul . ''

French President Nicolas Sarkozy , left , shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul .

Kevin Rudd and French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew into the Afghan capital , Kabul , on Saturday to meet with Karzai and visit their respective country 's troops participating in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force .

In a morning meeting , Sarkozy `` assured President Karzai of his government 's long term political and military support with the people of Afghanistan , '' according to a statement from the Afghan president 's office .

Rudd , who was elected in a landslide victory Nov. 24 , appeared with Karzai at a news conference , where he repeatedly said that the Australian commitment to Afghanistan is strong .

`` We will be , as I said before , in this country , Afghanistan , for the long haul . It 's important for us to be here in partnership with NATO countries , '' Rudd said .

`` On the question of the broader security policy challenges faced within Afghanistan , of course they are significant , they are real . But we are confident that in partnership with our friends in the Afghan government and with our other allies , particularly in NATO , that we can continue to achieve real progress in the long-term security of this country , '' he added .

Australia 's new defense minister , however , warned U.S. and NATO allies recently that they risk losing the war in Afghanistan without a sharp shift in military and reconstruction efforts there .

Joel Fitzgibbon , who took office with Rudd allies during a conference in Scotland earlier this month , said that more work needs to be done to win the `` hearts and minds '' of the people of Afghanistan in the 6-year-old war against the country 's former Taliban rulers and their al Qaeda allies .

Karzai wished those at the news conference a merry Christmas , then thanked Australia , France and other countries for their help and support .

More than 1,900 French troops are in Afghanistan , serving both the ISAF and the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom .

Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the war in Afghanistan , with nearly 1,000 troops stationed mostly in the southern province of Oruzgan .

Sarkozy , elected to lead France last May , told the U.S. Congress during a visit last month that France would stand `` shoulder to shoulder '' with the United States on the war in Afghanistan .

`` Let me tell you solemnly today : France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes , because what 's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance , '' he said .

Rudd made a surprise visit Friday to Iraq , where he promised continued Australian aid , despite a decision to withdraw all 550 Australian troops in Iraq by mid-2008 -- an effort his predecessor , John Howard , staunchly opposed .

Rudd had said he would start a phased withdrawal of Australian forces from Iraq if his Labor Party won the vote . E-mail to a friend

Journalist Farhad Peikar in Kabul contributed to this report .

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French and Australian leaders arrive in Afghanistan

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Both leaders expected to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai

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Both will visit with their respective country 's troops